


of somewhat mixed company

by marmett



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Ficlets, M/M, Multi, One Shot Collection, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2018-12-08 07:25:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11641773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marmett/pseuds/marmett
Summary: Collection of Anders centric fics from tumblr.





	1. Water (anders/fenris)

Fenris was in Lowtown when the rain started. It had been threatening all day, but he had business to attend to that couldn't wait. A contact of Varric's had information about slavers in the area who could possibly be looking for him, and it was something he would not like to put off. He felt the first drop on his nose, his business was over, but Lowtown was still a long way from his house, or any other place he could hide from the rain. Fenris didn't mind rain in theory, but keeping his armor polished after it got wet to keep the rust from setting in was a pain. More drops splattered on his head, and his pace quickened.

Just as the rain started to pick up into a steady drizzle, Fenris ducked into a doorway, the door it lead to was boarded over, so it would be unlikely he'd be bothered. He flicked at his wet hair, and shucked out of his gauntlets. With all the joints, those would be the worst to clean, but it seemed they had avoided getting to wet. It would minimize the care he'd have to put into them, at least. Outside his dry overhang, the rain continued, it wasn't a downpour, but it was enough that he didn't want to go back out into it. It was the kind of rain that would continue for hours before letting up, so Fenris settled in to wait it out.

With the dark, heavy clouds over Kirkwall, it was impossible to tell the passage of time from the sun, but Fenris didn't mind. He was used to long hours of waiting, a lot of it done inside where the sun was also not present, he had his own internal way of counting the passage of time. Waiting around for a few hours was no bother to him. It was peaceful, almost. As he spent more time in Kirkwall he began to feel more at home, like there were times he really could relax. Now was one of those times. He leaned back against the wall behind him, and sank down to rest. His legs were still folded in a way that he could easily jump to his feet, if needed, but he didn't think he would.

The streets were mostly empty in this part of town, but the rain had driven everyone else off, but it wasn't long before Fenris spotted another figure staggering through the rain. He tensed as the figure stumbled into his shelter, but stopped himself from getting up when he recognized who it was.

"Oh, Fenris. Fancy meeting you here." Anders said, in a tone that suggested he would have fancied not meeting Fenris at all.

"Anders." Fenris barely acknowledged him. If they didn't speak, they would get through this without incident.

It wasn't as if they really hated each other, not anymore, but it was so difficult to be civil. Anders insisted on twisting everything Fenris said to start and argument, but then, Fenris couldn't blame Anders entirely. When Anders was around, everything came out much harsher than he intended. Either way, without Hawke, they likely would not have been friends at all.  
Fenris jumped a bit when Anders shook off his feathered coat, splashing him with water.

"Sorry." An apology was more than he expected from Anders, even an absent minded one. He was still flicking and preening at his coat, and he didn't even look at Fenris.

Anders was clearly in a mood. Anders was always in a mood, it seemed, but he more distracted now, as if he barely noticed Fenris' presence. It was no bother to Fenris, and he settled back down to wait some more.

Even if Anders wasn't running his mouth, for once, he still managed to grate on Fenris' nerves. The man just could not keep still. He was constantly fidgeting. At one point, he sat down across from Fenris, only to constantly readjust his position, before finally jumping back up, and startling Fenris again. Fenris gritted his teeth, and tried to not let his irritation show. Anders could sense when someone was upset with him, it seemed, and when that happened he'd get defensive and make it worse.

Anders stopped in the middle of plucking at his feathers, and squinted down at Fenris, as if he finally realized he had company.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Anders couldn't have made himself more rude if he tried, but Fenris knew he wasn't trying, it was just how he was, so he tried to remain patient.

"It is raining. I wear armor, and the rain will ruin it. I am waiting for it to stop, the same as you."

Anders didn't seem happy with that answer, but then, Anders was never happy with anything.

"That's not what I meant. What are you doing in Lowtown, anyway? I've never seen you down here before, outside of when we're with Hawke."

Fenris shrugged. He knew he shouldn't, but sometimes Anders just set himself up.

"I could ask the same, I have never seen you in Lowtown under other conditions, either."

Anders glared, "That's because you never come to Lowtown. I have an herbalist up here, and patients who can't leave their houses. It's also the only place that I can even buy anything. Darktown has its... appeal... with the free real estate, but it doesn't exactly encourage businesses to set up there."

Anders sighed, he stopped talking, but his fidgeting only increased.

Anders was upset about something. They weren't good friends, but they had an understanding of sorts, so Fenris couldn't leave Anders to suffer and stew on his own. At least, not without trying to help first.

"Something is wrong?"

"Oh, thanks for the astute observation, Fenris. A lot of things are wrong, yes, Aveline threatening to bring the guard down on me, Meredith making more mages tranquil by the day. Which something did you mean?"

After that rant, Anders seemed to deflate. He looked at Fenris, actually looked at him for the first time that day, and then he sighed.

"Look... I'm sorry. I know you're trying to help, for whatever reason, but there's a lot happening, and I'm stuck here hiding from the rain. I could be doing something. I have patients to see... letters... you know, things? But instead I'm hiding here because I'm worried the rain would ruin my coat! A coat, as if that actually matters."

Fenris cracked a smile at that. Anders' coat was hideous, but he always took care of it, always preening it like he really was a bird, and not just wearing a dozen birds worth of feathers. But, there was also the practical aspect of it,

"Do you even have other clothes?"

Anders scowled. Fenris backpedaled, he got two apologies out of Anders, and he wasn't going to ruin it now,

"Or rather... it is almost like armor, is it not? It has enchantments, and armored weave. That is a good reason to take care of it."

Anders didn't seem pleased, but he accepted Fenris' save, and sank down to the ground across from him.

"I guess... but it still doesn't feel right just... sitting around when I could be doing something. Unless." Anders snapped his head up to look at Fenris, "Well, you're here waiting out the storm anyway, and you seemed fine before I got here, so you could take my coat? I could come back up to your place to get it the next time I'm up in Hightown?"

Anders was almost pleading with Fenris, as if he expected Fenris to outright say no to such a small request. Perhaps it was a testament to just how much Anders cared about that coat.

Fenris nodded, "It would not trouble me."

Anders smiled. It was a small thing, but Anders so rarely smiled, and never at Fenris. Seeing it made his insides twist.

He stood and unbuckled his coat and folded it with care before handing it to Fenris. It was heavy, and as he suspected there was armored weave.

Then Anders smiled again, and Fenris thought he wouldn't be so bad if he would smile more, "Thanks, Fenris. I didn't th-" Anders stopped, and actually thought before he spoke for once. "Nevermind, just, thanks."  
  


With that, Anders stepped back out into the rain, and he was soon drenched. Without the bulky coat, and with his shirt clinging to him from the water, Fenris realized just how skinny he was.

-

It was around mid afternoon when the rain finally stopped, and Fenris crept home. He spent the next hour cleaning and polishing his armor, paying extra attention to the joints in his gauntlets. When he was done, he paused, looking at Anders' coat. It was slung over the back of a chair, it was still a little wet. Fenris picked up carefully, unfolding it fully, and he set to brushing out the feathers and cleaning the lyrium weave in it. When he was done, he scooted a chair by the fire, and draped the coat over it so it would dry.

The coat stayed there for several days. Anders never came for it, Fenris knew Anders hadn't forgotten about it, he treasured it too much for that. It must have meant that Anders was busy, as always. Fenris sighed, and gathered up the coat, it wouldn't kill him to drop it off to Anders in Darktown. The coat had cleaned up well, Fenris was proud of what he had done with it. His stomach twisted in that same strange way it had when Anders had smiled at him when he thought of how Anders would react to seeing it.

Lowtown was much more crowded today without the rain to drive everyone indoors. The market stalls were packed, and the smell of the foods that street vendors were cooking was heavy in the air. Fenris stopped next to one selling cooked meat and vegetables on sticks, and he remembered how skinny Anders was the last time he saw him. It was only a few coppers, he could spare that much for Anders.

When Fenris arrived at the clinic, the lanterns were lit, but the door was closed and no one was around. He tucked the coat under his arm and knocked. There wasn't an answer, but when he tested the door, it was unlocked, so he let himself in. Inside was empty as well, save for Anders, who was scribbling away at some papers on his desk, when he heard the door, he stopped, and looked up.

"Fenris- oh, is that my coat?" He seemed genuinely surprised, "You didn't have to, but thanks, you can just lay it on a cot or something."

Fenris set the coat down on a nearby cot, before approaching Anders at his desk,

"There is... something else, I brought you this."

Fenris shifted his weight nervously. It was only a bit of cheap food, it wasn't a big deal, but he so badly wanted Anders to accept it. Anders blinked up at him with an expression of bewilderment.

"It is just a bit of food from the Lowtown markets, I thought you might be hungry." Fenris feared Anders might reject it. He didn't know why he would, but his stomach still churned nervously.

"Fenris, thank you. I... I can't believe you thought of me? I, here." Anders got up from his desk and hurried away to a back room. A few seconds later, he came out with an old pot, and two chipped cups.

"Here, let me put some tea on, and we can eat together... I mean, if you want. You don't have to stay if you don't want to but..." Anders trailed off, he couldn't look at Fenris, and he looked as nervous as Fenris felt. He smiled at that.

"Of course, I would enjoy your company."

Anders returned Fenris' smile, and he felt his cheeks heat, he could get used to Anders looking at him like that. Maybe he really wasn't all that bad, either way, he certainly wouldn't turn down Anders' company in the future.


	2. caught red handed (anders/hawke)

Mads was in the Hanged Man, knocking back a pint of Corff’s finest swill with Varric when the filthy Darktown kid burst through the doors, shouting,

 

“Champion! Where’s the champion? You have to help, they’ve got the healer.”

 

Hawke was on their feet in a second and striding toward the boy, paying no mind to the patrons who clambered to get out of their way. 

 

“Who. Were they wearing armor? What kind?”

 

“They were Coterie, I think, some of them. There were a lot, and they had magebane,” he said.

 

“Couldn’t have been Coterie, I’ve been paying them a small fortune to keep them off Blondie.” Varric said, from behind Hawke. 

 

If they were just Coterie Anders would’ve killed them, magebane or not. Meredith must still be mad at me over the De Launcet boy, but still unwilling to openly go against the champion. Those were templars.“ Mads was already on their way out the door, Varric following behind them.

As much as Mads wanted to, they wouldn’t be able to storm the Gallows to get Anders back, with Meredith, the situation would have to be dealt with through a bit more finesse. 

 

Mads gripped the sniveling man’s face tightly in their hand, letting the pointed gauntlets stab into his flesh, and then slammed his head back into the wall again.

 

“Not good enough. I know you’ve had contact with the templars, answer the question,” Mads said.

 

The man was a lowly thug they had found skulking around the wrecked clinic, and Hawke was well on their way to wrecking his face. He sobbed,

 

“If I tell you, you won’t kill me? You’ll let me go?”

 

Hawke tapped their metal tipped finger against his forehead,

 

“Answer the question. Who paid you all this money, and why?” Mads said.

 

“They wasn’t in no templar armor! They wanted to know where the healer was, 

they had swords and they paid me to tell them, that’s all.”  
“You were here when they took him?”

 

He nodded, “ I didn’t know they’d hurt ‘im! Th-they did something funny, some kinda gesture, and the healer couldn’t cast no more. Then they dragged him off, through the sewer down there.”

 

Hawke closed their eyes, inhaling sharply through their nose, when they opened their eyes again, they were stormy with rage, and the man squeaked in terror,

 

“You expect me to believe you had no idea they would hurt him. They gave you money, and you sold him out.” Mads threw him down onto the ground, and he scrabbled in the dirt, but not for long.

 

With a clench of Hawke’s fist, and a pull from the fade, his head was crushed, splattering blood and brain matter along the walls and floor of the filthy alleyway. Varric whistled lowly, 

 

“Easy there, killer, have a care for the poor son of a bitch who’s going have to clean that up. And the poor son of a bitch who’s going to have to pay them to do it.”  
-

 

The sewer finally lead them out into the open air of the wounded coast, and right into a group of templars who were standing guard. They weren’t wearing the armor, but there was no mistaking what they were. With a shout of rage, Mads unleashed a fireball before any of them could react. It exploded, knocking them all back and setting a few aflame, but the unearthly flames were quickly dispelled, and Hawke was silenced. They didn’t pause for a second, and fell upon them with the bladed end of their staff flashing and ripping through their light armor.

 

It was a quick and bloody battle, Mads slashed at the templar’s unarmored throats, and Varric filled them all with bolts from a distance. Hawke stood in the middle of the carnage, panting and surveying the area. They had to be holding Anders close by. Sure enough, their eyes landed on the mouth of a cave, almost hidden by the rocks and boulders. Hawke pointed, drawing Varric’s eyes to the cave, and then they approached together, Mads in the lead.

 

The cave was deep, and the entrance twisted, so they couldn’t see into it, but there was no need. Before they could set foot into the cavern, they heard footsteps, and soon after, a blue glow, and Justice strolled out, covered in as much blood as Mads was.

 

Justice’s glowing eyes settled on Mads, and then he nodded,

 

“You have come for us, I am grateful for the aid and concern. Anders will be pleased as well.”

 

With that, the glow faded, and Anders stumbled, gripping his head,

 

“Maker, I have the worst headache. Would it have killed them to be a bit more gentle? Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter, I would’ve killed them either way,” he blinked up at them before his eyes settled on Hawke and he smiled, “But I am glad to see you, love, from the blood it looks like you dealt with a fair bit of trouble yourself.”

 

Hawke smiled back at him, it was a vicious sort of smile, “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

 

Anders stumbled again, and grumbled something about Justice being too hard on his squishy, mortal body, but Mads caught him before he could fall, and kissed him once on his lips,

 

“Lets get you home. We’ll have to pay Meredith back for this some other time,” then they kissed him again on the cheek, “And thank you, Justice, for keeping him safe. We’ll work on the… handling of squishy mortal bodies later.”

 

Varric coughed behind them, but he was ignored.

 

“Yes, Justice could learn some things about how to handle my body from you. But first, I need a bath. You could use one too, I think there’s a bit of some brain in your hair, love.”


	3. the dichotomy of a mage (anders and surana, gen)

“So… You’re a blood mage.”

 

It had been a rough day, they were all soaked in darkspawn gore, and their own blood. The wounds themselves were little more than memories now, thanks to Anders’ healing. Lanaris had been cleaning her sword, the corruption from the darkspawn would erode it quicker than anything else if it wasn’t wiped off quickly.

 

“I am. Is there a problem with that?”

 

Anders sighed, and then sat next to her.

 

“It’s just… I don’t know. The templars always say that we’ll turn to blood magic and start summoning demons if they don’t always watch us. Aren’t you just proving them right?”

 

Lanaris paused in her sword cleaning. There it was. She knew Anders would have something to say when he found out, the self-loathing that the circle had taught them all still clung to him, as it had to her for her first few months of freedom. Even now it still plagued her sometimes.

 

“I wasn’t a blood mage when I was in the circle. They were going to send me to aeonar and they were going to make Jowan tranquil. There was nothing I could do, with three grown templars staring us down, I could try, but they’d just silence me and cut us both down.”

 

“But Jowan… He could fight them. The templars can’t silence a blood mage. For all their training, they can’t fight a mage if they can’t silence us. Jowan taught me, and now I can fight them too. I have a sword and my blood magic, and I don’t have to fear them anymore. I’ll kill them if they try to take me back.”

 

Anders was unconvinced, she could tell. He looked down, away from her gaze,

 

“But that’s it, isn’t it? They lock us up because they say mages are dangerous, if we want to be free, we have to prove that we aren’t. We-”

 

Lanaris cut him off, “No, Anders. They’ll always find another reason why we have to be contained. Blood magic is bad because they can’t control it. It’s not us, its them. We have nothing to prove to them. You don’t have to be afraid anymore, either. You’re a warden now. They’ll never hurt you again, or I’ll kill them. You’ll never be afraid again, I promise.”

 

Anders fell silent after that, the quiet stretched on so long, Lanaris didn’t think he would speak again, but he finally broke the silence,

 

“I… I guess I’m just not used to that. Irving said he would protect me too, but he had nothing to say when they threw me in solitary. Sorry, I guess I shouldn’t be telling you what to do. I’ll keep your cuts healed so they won’t scar, and you can keep doing your blood magic?”

 

He didn’t believe her. Lanaris didn’t blame him, but she meant every word of it. The templars had taken too much from her, she wouldn’t let it happen again. She wasn’t afraid of them anymore, she was a blood mage, and templars can’t silence a blood mage.


	4. onward to revolution, my love (anders/hawke)

It felt like all the oxygen in the air had been sucked out, but Anders knew that wasn’t possible, the explosion had been far enough away that they could only feel the ground shake and the flash of light. His stomach twisted with sickness and excitement in turn. This was it, it was over, one way or another. They would see, they would all see, the Circle was not a solution, and the empty hole in the middle of Hightown proved the Chantry’s power was not absolute, they could fight back against it and win. He hadn’t even needed magic to do it. He was a mage, but one did not need magic to be dangerous.

As the light faded from the explosion only ash and rubble was left behind, Anders felt a calm certainty come over him. He had been afraid, for himself, for Hawke, the mages, but he knew what would happen now. Fighting broke out around him, and he turned away from it, he say calmly on a crate, awaiting Hawke’s justice.

 

He remembered what Isabela had said, his life for the dozens in the Chantry, the dozens in the Chantry for the mages in the gallows, it was a cost he was willing to pay. He knew this trade would eventually buy freedom for all the mages in Thedas, it was a bargain, really. 

 

He would die. He knew that much. Hawke was a mage, they had the Chantry’s power clamped around their neck as tightly as any mage, they would stand for the mages, he knew they would. They would stand for every mage in Thedas with the same fierceness they used to stand by him. He felt a pang at that, he would lose Hawke for this, he knew. It had to be done, and he wouldn’t take it back, but losing Hawke’s regard still hurt. He had loved Hawke with all his heart, but some things were more important than his life.

 

He would die. But Andraste had died to, that did not mean she failed. Sebastian had scolded him for comparing himself to Andraste, but how could he not? Breaking the chains that the Chantry had wrapped around every mage from the day they were born was a just cause. Their actions today would be remembered, this would be the spark that would ignite revolution and break the Chantry’s thousand year reign. 

 

The fighting had stopped. Anders could hear Hawke walking towards him, they were breathing heavily from exertion, and their steps echoed, when they stopped in front of him, he did not look up. He couldn’t. He was not afraid to die, but losing Hawke would be worse. It was a fair trade, he reminded himself, and gathered all he had to speak.

 

“The world needs to see this. Then we can all stop pretending the Circle is a solution. If I pay for that with my life, then I pay. Perhaps then at least Justice would be free.”

 

Anders heard the rustling of Hawke’s armor, and closed his eyes, ready for the end to come. He wished they would just say something, anything, but he took comfort in knowing that it was Hawke. His eyes snapped open in surprise when he felt Hawke’s hands around his face, gently cradling him. It was familiar and it ached. Hawke’s eyes were hard to read, they were so dark the iris was barely distinguishable from the pupil, but their brow was drawn together. When they spoke, their voice was softer than he’d ever heard it before,

 

“Anders, when I said I never wanted you to leave my side, I meant it.”

Then Hawke’s hands were running down his neck comfortingly, until they clutched at his lapels, gripping tightly and pulling him up, and Hawke’s face and voice was hard again, 

 

“I also remember promising to kill anyone who tried to touch you. I think I’ll start with the Templars.”

 

Anders was unsteady on his feet, but Mads held him until he was stable again. Then their hands left his shoulders, and they were walking away to lead them in the revolution that he had started.


	5. untitled (anders/justice!fenris)

Anders grunted in frustration, knocking back another lyrium potion. A bit ironic, considering all the lyrium below his hands, but that lyrium only sucked his mana dry, as surely as it drained the life from its host. Fenris had been another one of the commander’s recruits, and just as much an outcast as the rest of them. He and Anders hadn’t gotten off on the best foot, but Justice had played mediator between them, and they had been talking and joking earlier that day before Fenris had been due for his joining.

Fenris hadn’t told them of the lyrium, and the darkspawn blood had done things to him. Horrific things. He was asleep now, Anders had put him out with a sleep spell, but he couldn’t forget the screams, the way Fenris’ eyes rolled back and went red. Living through the joining wasn’t guaranteed, but that wasn’t supposed to happen.

Anders didn’t want Fenris to die. He was a healer, and Fenris was still breathing now, even as the skin around his brands turned black, even as the once white markings pulsed and turned red. He was still breathing, and Anders would do all he could to keep it that way, so he drank another potion, and kept pouring his magic into the wounds as he cut away the markings, trying to stop the corruption.

He had performed amputations before, sometimes the infection set in and it was too ingrained even for spirit healing, he supposed what he was doing now was a bit like that, only much bloodier. He couldn’t take off one limb and call it a day, it was everywhere. There was so much blood, even with Anders healing as he went, but his sleep spell held and Fenris hadn’t stirred once.

The rest of the wardens left him to his bloody work. The commander lingered for a bit, looking at Anders with sympathy. Her joining hadn’t gone as well as Anders’, the two other recruits died, she was the only survivor. Mhairi hadn’t survived her joining either. Anders had passed out cold, so he didn’t witness her final moments, he had just woken up to find she hadn’t made it. He couldn’t let that happen to Fenris too.

Fenris hadn’t planned on joining the wardens, no more than Anders had planned it, but they had found him at the Docks, being lead away by Tevinter slavers. The commander had freed him, and offered him sanctuary in the warden ranks. It wasn’t quite freedom, but it was close enough. Fenris had been so close, Anders’ heart ached at the thought that he would lose his fight now.

Most of the lyrium in Fenris’ legs and feet had been carved out, and it lay pulsing and sparking a sickly red. There was still a lot to go, and Anders was shaking, needing another potion already. He had just finished his fifth.

He was reaching for a sixth when he heard the clanking of armor behind him.

“The song in the lyrium… it is not right. It has been corrupted by the blight.” Justice said.

Anders turned,

“Something went wrong I don’t know what… He… He’s dying.”

Anders had lost patients before but he had never felt like this before. It happened, he couldn’t save everyone but he had to try. And he would. He wouldn’t stop until Fenris was cured or dead, he couldn’t give up as long as he was still breathing. To have freedom wrenched from Fenris when it was in his grasp was too cruel to bear.

Hand shaking, Anders brought the potion to his lips to drink, but stopped, Justice’s strange eyes were focused intensely on him.

“You cannot save him. It is the song in the lyrium. It’s dissonant and wrong, not at all like it’s supposed to go. I believe… I believe I can fix that.”

Anders set the potion down.

“Do it. You have to. Save him, please.”

Justice tilted his head,

“I cannot. Not with him like that. We spoke before of… of possession. That is what will be needed for me to fix him. I cannot join with him without his consent, no even to save his life. I am no demon, and I will not take advantage when he is like that.”

Anders let out a shuddering breath.

“Stop being ridiculous. You can’t just get a man’s hopes up and then say that! Just bloody save him already.”

“No. He will need to be awake. Possession would be irreversible, we cannot make the decision for him.” Justice said.

“Fine. Have it your way, I’ll wake him up, and you can try to get an answer out of him through his screams of agony.”

Perhaps it was cruel, perhaps Anders should have let him go, let him drift off into death through the magical sleep instead of subjecting him to more pain, but he lifted the spell anyway.

Fenris did not scream. He was still, terrifyingly still and quiet as he blinked. His limbs twitched, but didn’t move, perhaps he couldn’t, couldn’t feel through the haze that Anders’ magic had cast over him.

His eyes focused first on Anders, then on Justice, his pupils blown wide.

“You are dying.” Justice said tactfully.

Fenris laughed, or tried to, but it was rough and breathy, more like a cough,

“It would seem so. I did not expect it to go this way, but at least I was free, in the end.”

“I have a solution that may save you, you may not like if, but the decision is up to you. If I can save you, it would be wrong to withhold the option. Lyrium sings, it is part of its nature, but the joining corrupted the lyrium in your veins. The song is all wrong now, but I know what it is supposed to sound like. I believe I can fix it, but I will need to possess you.”

Fenris had been wary of Justice at first, but Justice had been the one to earn Fenris’ trust first, after the commander, of course. But now Fenris looked doubtful.

“Why are you offering this? You said you were not a demon.”

“I am not. That is why I’m asking. Once the lyrium inside you is restored, I will not ask a sacrifice from you. I will not trick you like a demon would. It is your choice.”

Fenris closed his eyes. He didn’t move or speak for a long time, so long, Anders started to fear he was dead, but he eventually, he opened his eyes again, and nodded.

-

Anders stirred from sleep, the cot underneath him creaking ominously under the strain of holding up two bodies. One of these days it would come crashing down beneath them, but for now it held. He rolled over, light was already streaming in through the high windows in the clinic, but Fenris was warm, and the clinic was cold from the chill the windows let in. Anders laid his head on Fenris’ shoulder and watched him. Blue fade light danced over his skin and the white lyrium in his skin. Anders pressed a kiss to the corner of Fenris’ mouth, and his eyes opened, more blue fade light spilling from his eyes.

Justice looked down at him, face expressionless, and plopped a hand down on Anders’ face. Anders laughed, gripping the hand in his own, pressing a kiss to the palm. Even after all this time Justice didn’t quite understand how mortal bodies worked, but Anders understood the gesture.

Justice never lingered long in the mornings, and soon, the light faded, and Fenris was once again in control. It hadn’t always been like this, they couldn’t always so easily switch out, but with Fenris’ lyrium and Anders’ magic, they had found a solution.

In the waking world, Anders and Fenris spent their days together. They did good work, too. Fenris had always been strong, but with Justice they were near unstoppable. The grip that the Tevinter slavers had in Kirkwall had been broken by them, and now the three of them were chipping away at the chantry’s hold on the mages of the city. It wasn’t as easy, the slavers could be beaten back with Fenris’ sword, but the chantry required a different approach.

It was hard, but the moments like these made it worth it, waking up to his lovers, after spending a night in the fade with the two of them. It wasn’t quite what he expected from his freedom, but he would have chosen no other path.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr at misterwiggums


End file.
